Saturday, January 28, 2012

Every year in December I start to think about the new year ahead and try and get a feel for what is in store. Going into 2011 "Change" was the read I was getting and boy was there a lot of change not only in my world but in the world as a whole.

While sitting and having lunch with a co-worker a few weeks ago she asked me what my read was going into 2012. "Nothing" is the word that came to me. I didn't mean I didn't have anything to say, the feeling was "nothingness". It was a little freaky since there was still a lot of change going on in our company and the fact was we could loose our jobs at any time. I felt nothing, almost empty.

Last week I watched my first episode of "Hoarders" It was like watching a train wreck, you just couldn't stop looking. It was very sad to see the true pain these people were going through. I don't know that I would watch it again but it did make me take a good look around me. Was I holding on to things just because I thought I could use it someday? I cleaned out two junk drawers two days later.

I have also been feeling stuck, like there is no energy flow around me. Feeling like I can't move forward. I haven't started my seeds yet, I haven't felt like going out into the garden, just stuck.

It was this statement that put it all in perceptive for me "Clutter is not only bad for your health, but it blocks your prosperity. There’s literally no room for new energy. I can almost guarantee that if my client is overweight or having money troubles, there is a source of clutter and excess in their life."

The feeling of nothingness was in fact the theme for the new year I just couldn't see it until the other signs came into play. The episode of "Hoarders" and the blog post. My feng shui is completely out of whack. There is no energy flow in my house and it is dragging me down. This year is all about purging and getting organized. Bring that positive energy flow back into my life. I now know what I need to do. One room at a time, one closet at a time, one drawer at a time. It's time to let go of the clutter in my life. I'm starting to feel better already.

I'm sure by now you are wondering what this has to do with my garden journey. What does clutter and purging have to do with throwing some seeds in the ground and letting them grow? Well a lot. You see I hold on to things that I think I can grow my seeds in. They sit in one of my sheds just waiting for that day when I just might need it. I went into that shed this morning and took these photos.

No wonder my feng shui is out of whack. Look at this mess and this is not the only mess I have in my life. My closets are overflowing, my drawers are all full. Do I really need all this stuff!

Over the summer I bought myself a 2 inch soil blocker thinking it would be fun to learn a new skill. Some of my fellow gardeners have been using soil blockers for the past two years and love them.

Robin over at Gardener of Eden did a blog post on soil blocks with a link to a great site called Potting Blocks.com Jason Beam has a few videos on how to use soil blocks. After watching the videos I took a look around the site and decided to invest in my garden tools. No more cheap plastic trays and seed staring container that needed to be replaced every year. It is time to clear out all that clutter and replace it with long lasting tools that also minimize my carbon footprint.

My new toys tools arrived today and I am looking forward to learning a new skill and clearing out some clutter.

Friday, January 20, 2012

I know a some of you have been toying with the idea of buying a Day Avocado.

My Avocado arrived on March 31, 2010 in a 6 inch pot at just under 2 feet tall.

By June 18 2011 the tree was in a 16 inch pot and standing at 3 feet tall.

Today still in the the same 16 inch pot is now standing at 4 feet and we are just about at the two year mark. Will I get fruit this year or next year? I guess we will have to wait and see. This has to be one of the easiest fruit trees to grow. Just don't fuss over it and it is happy.

My question now is, how do I prune this tree or do I even need to at this point? Time to Google it.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Because of the cold weather I have not put up my greenhouse yet. By now I would have already started my spring and summer seeds. I'll give it another week and see how things go.

This year I will not be starting my own tomato seeds. I am lucky enough to live with in diving distance to Love Apple Farm and will be trying some new varieties that are known to grow well in my area. Owner Cynthia Sandberg is known in these parts as the "Tomato Lady". She grows over 100 heirloom tomato varieties each year and sells them March through June. I had the opportunity to hear Cynthia speak at a gardening bootcamp last year and she brought tomato seedling for all of us to take home. I picked the Anna Russian and it was just wonderful. You can read Cynthia's story here Cynthia Sandberg. She is truly inspiring.